Hyatt checks out of Auckland as Pullman checks in

A new era is set to begin for Auckland’s most prominent 5-star hotel, with Hyatt Regency checking-out of the city tonight and Pullman Auckland Hotel & Residences checking in.

The Hyatt was New Zealand’s first 5-star hotel and commands a central position in the heart of Auckland’s commercial and retail district.

Accor management moved into the hotel just after midnight, following the sale of the hotel to new owners. The change-over also marked Accor’s ascendancy to New Zealand’s largest hotel group, with a total of 29 hotels and 4017 rooms across the country – 500 rooms more than its nearest competitor. Accor will increase its network further in mid-year when it adds Novotel and Formule 1 hotels at Auckland Airport.

Accor Vice President New Zealand, Paul Richardson said that the launch of Pullman would be very beneficial for Auckland’s tourism sector: “Pullman will provide a fresh approach to upscale hospitality with a ‘Check-in, Chill-out’ positioning around three fundamentals: Conviviality, Calm and Connectivity.

“Over the coming months, we will be enhancing the hotel to bring the property up to Pullman standard, providing a complete array of personalised services and innovative technologies including a Connectivity Lounge and the groundbreaking ‘Co-Meeting’ concept which ensures flawless success for meetings and events.”

The Pullman hotel offers 267 rooms, suites and apartments, with three Pullman Executive levels, all of which were refurbished in 2009. A feature of the hotel’s facilities is the Spa and Health Club, one of the largest of its kind in NZ. Available to hotel guests and external clients, the Spa includes six treatment rooms, gymnasium, a 25 meter heated lap pool with a retractable roof, steam room, jacuzzi, juice bar and spa boutique

The hotel boasts some of Auckland’s most extensive conference and event facilities with the capacity to host events for up to 1000 delegates.Facilities range from a grand ballroom to the Top of the Town boardroom, one of Auckland’s most exclusive venues, which is located on the top floor of the hotel, providing superb views of the harbour, city and parks

While new to New Zealand, Pullman has a rich heritage in the global hospitality and tourism world. It is the fastest growing 5-star brand in the Asia Pacific region, with major additions in countries such as Vietnam, China, India, and Malaysia, building on the existing network in Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and China. The Pullman network already extends to over 50 hotels in some of the world’s most renowned cities and is set to double over the next three years.